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Robert Selbie Clark (1882-1950)
Details
Robert Selbie Clark (1882-1950)
A collection of letters, manuscripts, typescripts, and carbon copies, the Antarctic archive of Robert Clark, comprising:
LETTERS AND MANUSCRIPTS BY CLARK, including: ENDURANCE EXPEDITION. Carbon copy of an autograph journal, Buenos Aires to South Georgia, 26 October - 29 November 1914, 51 pages, 4to (lacking two pages, occasionally very faint); autograph biologist's log book, compiled c.1919 but referring to 5 December 1914 - 16 April 1916, recording dredging results, also wildlife seen or captured, contents of stomachs etc, a few non-scientific events noted, occasional entries for 1919, the entries in parallel in a printed folio diary for 1919, approximately 55 leaves, folio; further autograph notes on species observed, some transcribed from Worsley's log, 5 pages, folio; and a collection of autograph drafts and typescripts of seven lectures and articles on Antarctic subjects, 1919-1936 and n.d., titles include 'South Atlantic Whales and Whaling', 'Life in Polar Wastes', 'Exploration in South Polar Seas', 'Life in Antarctica' and 'The Value of Antarctic Exploration', together with other autograph notes, including a list of dogs, books and clothes on the Endurance and related typescripts, approximately 23½ pages, folio, in autograph, and 40 pages, typescript or in other hands; with an autograph letter by Clark to his fiancée, Madeira, 16 August 1914, on the beginning of Endurance's voyage, and his homesickness, 4 pages, 8vo, and a carbon copy of a letter to Dr W.S. Bruce, 1917, referring to Antarctic specimens;
QUEST EXPEDITION. A collection of retained copy letters or drafts, comprising two autograph letters signed, five letters signed (with initials), 15 copy letters, two typescript advertisements, and 11 autograph telegrams, 1 July 1921 - 10 April 1922 (mostly July 1921), to Shackleton, Rowett, fellow scientists and others, chiefly concerning the recruitment of a biologist for the Quest expedition, with a collection of manuscript and typescript notes for the equipping of the Quest, altogether approximately 42 pages, various sizes;
LETTERS ADDRESSED TO CLARK, by correspondents including: Sir Ernest SHACKLETON. 8 letters signed (one in the hand of Emily Shackleton) and one signed on his behalf by F.W. White, 16 May - 17 July 1914 and 1 January 1920 - 20 April 1921, negotiating his terms of engagement on the Endurance, and in 1921 providing a reference in the light of his service on the expedition and referring to future plans, 9 pages, 4to; Frank WORSLEY. 5 autograph letters signed and one letter signed ('Skipper'), London, 14 June - 30 August 1921, on technical preparations for biological and hydrographical work on the Quest, 13 pages, 4to; Alexander MACKLIN. Three autograph letters signed and a typed letter signed, London, 27 March - 12 April 1921, inviting him to join the Quest; G.H. WILKINS (naturalist on Quest). Autograph letter signed and letter signed, 14 August & 9 September 1921, on preparations for the Quest, 5 pages, 8vo and 4to; and a collection of correspondence with scientists and others, chiefly concerning the recruitment of a biologist for the Quest, 23 August 1919 - 10 May 1923, approximately 63 pages, various sizes; with eleven telegrams and two copies of Clark's 'Neptune's Certificate', issued by Tom Crean.
PROVENANCE:
Robert Selbie Clark (1882-1950).
Alexander Hepburne Macklin (1889-1967), and thence by descent to the present owners.
THE POLAR ARCHIVE OF THE BIOLOGIST ON THE ENDURANCE. The starting point of the collection is a series of letters from Shackleton in 1914, recruiting Clark to the expedition: 'I have made no arrangements yet for a Biologist, and I do want a first class man ... I do not propose to dredge any more than 500 fathoms, but I want the Biologist to be permanently attached to the ship'. A letter of 1 July 1914 sets out in detail the terms of Clark's engagement, including a stipulation that he 'sign on the articles of Endurance at 1/- a month for the purposes of discipline'. Clark evidently initially refused the post, but did eventually accompany the expedition. Perhaps the most interesting document in the archive is a composite biologist's log, composed in 1919, and giving detailed lists of the wildlife observed on the ice floes (in the depths of the Antarctic winter the note is very often 'No animal life seen'). The archive also includes Clark's notes for a number of lectures and papers on Antarctic biology and exploration.
A second section of the archive deals with the Quest expedition. Clark stood by his decision not to join the Quest, in spite of cajoling letters from Alexander Macklin (an old tent-mate from the ice-floes in 1915): 'The scheme is a most fascinating & interesting one, the zoological life enormous as compared with the Antarctic (cheek to talk to you about that)'. But Clark agreed to look for another candidate, and his strenuous, though unsuccessful, efforts in this direction are evidence of his continued loyalty to Shackleton. The correspondence from this period also incudes a series of letters from Worsley about the hydrographic equipping of the expedition.
Clark was an experienced scientist when taken on by Shackleton for the Endurance, apparently at Dr Bruce's recommendation. One of the sticking points before his appointment was his attempt to persuade Shackleton to agree a salary for a period after the expedition for the working up of his scientific results. In the event, the expedition gave limited opportunities for Clark's work, and all his specimens were lost with the Endurance. While in the pack-ice, Frank Worsley decided that all the Adelie penguins were friends of Clark's: 'when he was at the wheel [they] rushed along as fast as their legs could carry them yelling out "Clark! Clark!" & apparently very indignant & perturbed that he never ... even answered them'.
A collection of letters, manuscripts, typescripts, and carbon copies, the Antarctic archive of Robert Clark, comprising:
LETTERS AND MANUSCRIPTS BY CLARK, including: ENDURANCE EXPEDITION. Carbon copy of an autograph journal, Buenos Aires to South Georgia, 26 October - 29 November 1914, 51 pages, 4to (lacking two pages, occasionally very faint); autograph biologist's log book, compiled c.1919 but referring to 5 December 1914 - 16 April 1916, recording dredging results, also wildlife seen or captured, contents of stomachs etc, a few non-scientific events noted, occasional entries for 1919, the entries in parallel in a printed folio diary for 1919, approximately 55 leaves, folio; further autograph notes on species observed, some transcribed from Worsley's log, 5 pages, folio; and a collection of autograph drafts and typescripts of seven lectures and articles on Antarctic subjects, 1919-1936 and n.d., titles include 'South Atlantic Whales and Whaling', 'Life in Polar Wastes', 'Exploration in South Polar Seas', 'Life in Antarctica' and 'The Value of Antarctic Exploration', together with other autograph notes, including a list of dogs, books and clothes on the Endurance and related typescripts, approximately 23½ pages, folio, in autograph, and 40 pages, typescript or in other hands; with an autograph letter by Clark to his fiancée, Madeira, 16 August 1914, on the beginning of Endurance's voyage, and his homesickness, 4 pages, 8vo, and a carbon copy of a letter to Dr W.S. Bruce, 1917, referring to Antarctic specimens;
QUEST EXPEDITION. A collection of retained copy letters or drafts, comprising two autograph letters signed, five letters signed (with initials), 15 copy letters, two typescript advertisements, and 11 autograph telegrams, 1 July 1921 - 10 April 1922 (mostly July 1921), to Shackleton, Rowett, fellow scientists and others, chiefly concerning the recruitment of a biologist for the Quest expedition, with a collection of manuscript and typescript notes for the equipping of the Quest, altogether approximately 42 pages, various sizes;
LETTERS ADDRESSED TO CLARK, by correspondents including: Sir Ernest SHACKLETON. 8 letters signed (one in the hand of Emily Shackleton) and one signed on his behalf by F.W. White, 16 May - 17 July 1914 and 1 January 1920 - 20 April 1921, negotiating his terms of engagement on the Endurance, and in 1921 providing a reference in the light of his service on the expedition and referring to future plans, 9 pages, 4to; Frank WORSLEY. 5 autograph letters signed and one letter signed ('Skipper'), London, 14 June - 30 August 1921, on technical preparations for biological and hydrographical work on the Quest, 13 pages, 4to; Alexander MACKLIN. Three autograph letters signed and a typed letter signed, London, 27 March - 12 April 1921, inviting him to join the Quest; G.H. WILKINS (naturalist on Quest). Autograph letter signed and letter signed, 14 August & 9 September 1921, on preparations for the Quest, 5 pages, 8vo and 4to; and a collection of correspondence with scientists and others, chiefly concerning the recruitment of a biologist for the Quest, 23 August 1919 - 10 May 1923, approximately 63 pages, various sizes; with eleven telegrams and two copies of Clark's 'Neptune's Certificate', issued by Tom Crean.
PROVENANCE:
Robert Selbie Clark (1882-1950).
Alexander Hepburne Macklin (1889-1967), and thence by descent to the present owners.
THE POLAR ARCHIVE OF THE BIOLOGIST ON THE ENDURANCE. The starting point of the collection is a series of letters from Shackleton in 1914, recruiting Clark to the expedition: 'I have made no arrangements yet for a Biologist, and I do want a first class man ... I do not propose to dredge any more than 500 fathoms, but I want the Biologist to be permanently attached to the ship'. A letter of 1 July 1914 sets out in detail the terms of Clark's engagement, including a stipulation that he 'sign on the articles of Endurance at 1/- a month for the purposes of discipline'. Clark evidently initially refused the post, but did eventually accompany the expedition. Perhaps the most interesting document in the archive is a composite biologist's log, composed in 1919, and giving detailed lists of the wildlife observed on the ice floes (in the depths of the Antarctic winter the note is very often 'No animal life seen'). The archive also includes Clark's notes for a number of lectures and papers on Antarctic biology and exploration.
A second section of the archive deals with the Quest expedition. Clark stood by his decision not to join the Quest, in spite of cajoling letters from Alexander Macklin (an old tent-mate from the ice-floes in 1915): 'The scheme is a most fascinating & interesting one, the zoological life enormous as compared with the Antarctic (cheek to talk to you about that)'. But Clark agreed to look for another candidate, and his strenuous, though unsuccessful, efforts in this direction are evidence of his continued loyalty to Shackleton. The correspondence from this period also incudes a series of letters from Worsley about the hydrographic equipping of the expedition.
Clark was an experienced scientist when taken on by Shackleton for the Endurance, apparently at Dr Bruce's recommendation. One of the sticking points before his appointment was his attempt to persuade Shackleton to agree a salary for a period after the expedition for the working up of his scientific results. In the event, the expedition gave limited opportunities for Clark's work, and all his specimens were lost with the Endurance. While in the pack-ice, Frank Worsley decided that all the Adelie penguins were friends of Clark's: 'when he was at the wheel [they] rushed along as fast as their legs could carry them yelling out "Clark! Clark!" & apparently very indignant & perturbed that he never ... even answered them'.
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